Baxter and Its Foundation Contribute Nearly $44 Million in 2008 to Address Critical Needs Locally and Globally.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Baxter International Inc. and The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter, today announced their combined 2008 charitable giving, which focused on increasing access to healthcare, helping developing nations and countries in crisis, and addressing other critical community needs. In 2008, combined giving from the company and its foundation totaled nearly $44 million, comprising:

* $28.9 million from Baxter's businesses and facilities to address critical local needs in more than 40 countries;

* $10.9 million from donations of Baxter products to 58 developing nations and countries in crisis; and

* $4.0 million from The Baxter International Foundation, including nearly $1.4 million in grants to organizations outside of the U.S. and nearly $740,000 to more than 750 organizations through the Foundation's Dollars for Doers and Matching Gifts programs, which support employees' philanthropic efforts.

"Baxter's charitable giving activities align with and support the company's mission of saving and sustaining lives," said Robert L. Parkinson, Jr., Baxter's chairman and chief executive officer. "Whether through monetary and product donations, or by volunteering our time, Baxter is committed to making a positive impact on the health and well-being of our local and global communities."

Baxter Responds to Disasters Worldwide

Through its 2008 charitable donations, Baxter assisted individuals affected by worldwide disasters, including the earthquake in China and the cyclone in Myanmar. The Baxter International Foundation awarded $500,000 in grants to organizations dedicated to disaster relief, in addition to more than $220,000 in employee contributions and matching gifts from Baxter and the foundation in response to the disasters in Myanmar and China. At the same time, with the help of international relief agencies, the company donated nearly $2.4 million in needed Baxter products to humanitarian organizations working in the affected regions.

For example, Baxter assisted victims of the earthquake in the Sichuan province of China by donating intravenous (IV) solutions, therapies for renal patients and critical care nutrition products to the Ministry of Health and hospitals. Many Baxter employees in the region also volunteered in relief efforts, including Baxter technicians and Renal team members who helped to install machines for patients with kidney failure. In addition, The Baxter International Foundation awarded $350,000 in grants to the Red Cross Society of China and Project Hope, a global disaster-relief agency, and also committed more than $92,000 through The Baxter International Foundation Employees Disaster Relief Fund to match contributions by Baxter employees to the relief efforts in China.

Baxter's donation of IV solutions to five organizations in Myanmar helped to prepare the region for a potential cholera outbreak after Cyclone Nargis affected more than two million people. Yangon General Hospital as well as four local in-country aid organizations each received 4,000 liters of the donated product, enough to treat 500 patients suffering from cholera or other diarrheal diseases. In addition, The Baxter International Foundation awarded a $150,000 contribution to CARE, a global humanitarian organization, to assist victims in the area.

Addressing Critical Needs Locally

Giving from Baxter's businesses and facilities totaled $28.9 million to address critical local needs in more than 40 countries. Each region determines its local giving based on the greatest needs of its community. For example, Baxter China has donated to Hope Schools, a program that develops infrastructure and systems to improve education in impoverished regions of Sichuan province. In the United States, funds support Science@Work, a partnership with the Chicago Public Schools and other educational organizations to facilitate learning of math and science through biotechnology education to help ensure that the next generation of students is both interested and educated about science.

Product Donations Benefit Those In Need Globally

Baxter donated more than $10.9 million in vital medical products to 58 countries in 2008. Major product donations were distributed through international humanitarian aid organizations AmeriCares, Direct Relief International and World Federation of Hemophilia. Baxter's product donations have helped individuals coping with a lack of healthcare resulting from political instability in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Darfur, as well as helped to rebuild healthcare access in areas of Indonesia affected by the tsunami. In 2008, Baxter joined the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations to support the organization's commitment to advancing effective drug and medical supply donation practices.

Foundation Grants Aim to Improve Healthcare Worldwide

In 2008, The Baxter International Foundation supported 89 organizations in 20 countries. Through its grant program, the foundation funds initiatives that improve global access to quality and cost-effective healthcare. Specifically, grants awarded in 2008 will help increase health and nutrition services for children, provide mental health services to the homeless, expand training for healthcare professionals addressing public health needs, and improve access to healthcare for children, the uninsured and the elderly.

Some of the organizations that received grants in 2008 from the foundation include:

* CONTACT to hire a registered dietician to manage and prevent health conditions for at-risk children in two counties in Ontario, Canada.

* Medicos del Mundo to train 60 health promoters in 16 neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

* Teen Living Programs to enhance its health and nutrition program for at-risk homeless youth in Chicago, Illinois.

A full listing of The Baxter International Foundation grants awarded in 2008 can be found at http://www.baxter.com/grants.

About Baxter

The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc., helps organizations expand access to healthcare in the United States and around the world. The foundation, established in 1981, began to focus exclusively on increasing access to healthcare in 2002 - particularly for the disadvantaged and underserved - in communities where Baxter employees live and work. To learn more about the foundation, please visit http://www.baxter.com/about_baxter/foundation.

Baxter's commitment to sustainability spans three decades. The company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has been recognized by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, by Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens and by the U.S. EPA as a Performance Track Corporate Leader. Baxter is a member of the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, the Business Environmental Leadership Council of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Chicago Climate Exchange, the U.S. EPA's Climate Leaders and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. Baxter endorses the Ceres principles and is an organizational stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.